Nanotechnology in Consumer Products

Canadian consumers unaware of nanotechnology in household products

Feb 10, 2009

To its devotees, nanotechnology is the science of the 21st century. But little is known of the impact that microscopic particles can have on human health.

The global market for all nanotechnology-related products is expected to be worth US$1-trillion by 2015, according to the National Science Foundation in the U.S. Since the U.S.-based Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies launched its online inventory of international manufacturer-identified ‘nanotech goods’ in March 2006, the number of nanotechnology-related products available has increased from 220 to more than 580. The Consumers Council of Canada has estimated that 80% of these products are available here, either through retail outlets or over the internet.

Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating particles that are between one and 100 nanometres in size. A nanometre is a mind-boggling one-billionth of a metre. To put it in context, a human hair is about 80,000 nanometres. The term nanotechnology is believed to have first been used by the late Professor Norio Taniguchi of Tokyo Science University in 1974.

Consumer Awareness is Low

Nanoparticles can already be found in many everyday products like sunscreen and anti-aging serums. Many sunscreens contain zinc oxide or titanium oxide nanoparticles that are absorbed easily into the skin, leaving no whitish residue behind. Nanoparticles are also used in scratch-resistant glass and wrinkle-resistant clothes.

Dr. Elizabeth Nielsen, a consultant with the Consumers Council of Canada, did an extensive report on nanotechnology last year. She said the main focus of the research has been on the development and commercialisation of the technology, and not on its effects on human health and the environment. “One of the big issues is that there is a lot of information about what the benefits of the technology are. Some of it is myth, some of it is exaggerated, some of it can be phenomenal, particularly in the medical arena," she said.

A Consumer Council survey of Canadians in late 2007 showed public awareness of nanotechnology is low, but Canadians are generally optimistic about nanotechnology, particularly in the fields of medical devices, pharmaceutical drugs and energy efficiency. Many asked for more stringent government regulations to help manage the risks and ethical issues. There are privacy concerns that nanotechnology could be used to further miniatuarise surveillance or eavesdropping devices devices, making them even more difficult to detect, Dr Nielsen said.

In the case of cosmetics, consumers may not be aware that they are using creams with nanoparticles in them, Dr Nielsen said. There are fears nanoparticles might end up in the bloodstream and the lymphatic system. Nanoparticles may affect unborn fetuses, or end up lodged in the brain.

Dr Nielsen said that a lack of appropriate tools is hampering regulators and scientists from properly assessing the impact of nanotechnology. However, work has already begun in this area.

Last July, a scientific assessment by the Council of Canadian Academies, commissioned by Health Canada, concluded that it may not be necessary to create new regulatory mechanisms to regulate nanotechnology, but recommended that existing regulations be strengthened.

As part of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999 (CEPA) review process, Environment Canada and Health Canada are examining what changes may be required to enhance nanotechnology regulation. Health Canada is also working with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Standards Organization to develop a framework for identifying the potential health-related risks of nanomaterials, a spokesperson said.

The government spokesperson said Health Canada has received less than 10 applications over the past few years. "However, there is a clear trend that applications are increasing and this will accelerate in the coming years. As nanotechnology is still a new field of research and application, the potential risks and benefits of nanomaterials are being examined and evaluated on a case-by-case basis," the spokesperson said.

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